They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, then they both spoke at once.
“Are you kidding me?”
Ginny emerged from the kitchen and stopped short, her expression hard.
“What are you doing here?”
Harry glared at her. “Your mother invited me. I guess she neglected to tell everyone.” He pushed his way inside, making sure to jam Draco in the shoulder.
“Don't,” Ginny said, grabbing the blond by the collar. “That's what he wants.”
Draco turned on her. “He's going to get a broken arm along with those fingers if he doesn't stop.”
They noticed Molly hugging Harry as though the banquet never happened. George, however, remained reserved. He was standing off to the side and only gave Harry a curt nod when addressed.
“Thank you,” Ginny whispered as she walked by her brother. “So, Harry, how are your fingers?”
Draco couldn't help but smirk at her tone.
“They're alright,” he replied, looking at the blond with disdain. “I can flex them, at least. Isn't that a shame?”
“You deserved it,” Draco snarled quietly. “You kissed my girlfriend.”
“Oh, she's your girlfriend now?” Harry said, raising an eyebrow.
Ginny narrowed her eyes and grabbed Draco's hand. “Yes, I am. Do you have a problem with that?”
Harry didn't say anything. Molly had been putting dishes on the table and Ginny figured she'd pretended not to hear anything, as she often did.
“You two deserve each other,” Ginny said coldly.
“Funny, that's what I think about you and Draco.”
“Well, thank you,” Draco said snidely.
George chose this time to intervene. “Mum wants to speak to Draco alone, and I'm going to see what Bill is up to.”
“Bill's coming?” Ginny asked, a smile twitching on her lips. “Why didn't Mum tell me?”
“GEORGE!” Molly shouted, storming into the room. “You weren't supposed to tell her.” She glanced at Draco, her voice softening. “Could you come with me for a few minutes? I'd like to talk to you.”
Draco grinned. “I guess that would be okay.” He turned around. “Will you be okay with him?”
Ginny glanced behind her at Harry, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. “I'll be fine,” she said, pushing Draco out of the kitchen. “I promise I won't kill him.”
All she heard before she turned around was a soft chuckle from the hall.
**
“You're worried about Ginny's well being while being with me,” Draco said as he sat on the couch. He didn't need her to speak her mind to know what she was thinking. “I assure you, she's safe with me.”
“She had better be,” Molly said, staring at him. “Because, if I hear you've hurt my daughter like Harry has, I will come after you.”
“I would never do anything to hurt her like he did. He obviously doesn't care about her.”
“And you do?” Molly asked.
“He does,” Arthur said, coming into the room. “I can tell. Molly, I'm surprised that you're the one reacting this way.”
“Excuse me?” Molly said sharply, standing.
The argument exploded almost immediately, and Draco took the opportunity to exit. He went into the kitchen, swept Ginny outside and told her they had to leave.
“What happened?” she asked, glancing at him. “They're yelling and it's not like them. What are they fighting about?”
“Well, you,” Draco mumbled. “I don't think your mum likes that you're living with me.”
“That's surprising. I thought my dad would be the one to react that way.”
“He said that about your mum.”
Ginny sighed and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. “We should go. We're not helping them by being here.”
“I think you're right.” Draco said. “But what about your brother? He's supposed to stop by. You wouldn't want to miss seeing him, would you?”
“No, but if we're going to cause my parents to fight-”
“It's not our fault,” Draco said, taking her hand. He brushed his lips against her knuckles. “We'll leave if you want. Just owl Bill and tell him what happened, see what he says.”
“So, you're asking me to explain about the whole situation to my older brother? You're not exactly his favorite person. And I don't think he'd like to know the extent of our living arrangements.”
“But we're a couple,” Draco said. “He'll understand that. You'll see, it'll be fine.”
“I'll think about it,” Ginny said.
“What's going on?” George asked, as he came up behind them. “God, they're really going at it in there, no wonder you're out here.”
Harry joined them momentarily and no one looked entirely too happy that he had. Ginny kept her arm around Draco's waist, squeezing slightly to show her discomfort.
“We're leaving,” Ginny said. “I'm sorry. I just can't be here anymore.”
Harry glanced at her. “How mature of you. What, are you afraid of me or something?”
“She's not afraid of anyone,” Draco said.
“Let her talk!” Harry snapped, shoving him. “She has a mind of her own.”
Draco straightened up and laughed.
Harry went to hit him, and Draco gripped his wrist, twisting it behind his back. His lips were next to Harry's ear and he whispered, “You really shouldn't have done that. You never deserved her, because you didn't respect her. I win and you lose, Potter.”
Then Draco tossed him onto the grass, grabbed Ginny, and Apparated.
**
“That was so bad,” Ginny said as they landed in front of a small coffee shop close to Draco's flat. “God, my parents are going to be so mad when they find out we left. I can't wait for that owl.”
That owl came when night had fallen. But it wasn't from Molly, or even Arthur. It was from Bill, and he had asked Ginny to meet with him to discuss what happened at The Burrow.
Draco read over the letter as Ginny lay against him. He kissed the top of her head. “He wants to meet with you, probably to talk about what I did to Harry.”
“I don't think so. He doesn't know about the banquet, and if he did he would be talking to Harry instead of you. And he wouldn't be happy... Unless Harry lies about what happened,” said Ginny.
“That's very likely, but there are witnesses,” Draco responded. “So he would just make an ass out of himself. Besides, does Bill know he cheated?”
Ginny shook her head. “I didn't tell many people.”
“He might wonder why Harry's not around lately,” suggested Draco. “So it'll be best if you tell him.”
Ginny considered this. “You're right. Do you want to come with me to see him?”
“I think it's better if you go alone,” he said. “You two will have much to talk about.”
Ginny agreed and owled Bill back.
“Are you kidding me?”
Ginny emerged from the kitchen and stopped short, her expression hard.
“What are you doing here?”
Harry glared at her. “Your mother invited me. I guess she neglected to tell everyone.” He pushed his way inside, making sure to jam Draco in the shoulder.
“Don't,” Ginny said, grabbing the blond by the collar. “That's what he wants.”
Draco turned on her. “He's going to get a broken arm along with those fingers if he doesn't stop.”
They noticed Molly hugging Harry as though the banquet never happened. George, however, remained reserved. He was standing off to the side and only gave Harry a curt nod when addressed.
“Thank you,” Ginny whispered as she walked by her brother. “So, Harry, how are your fingers?”
Draco couldn't help but smirk at her tone.
“They're alright,” he replied, looking at the blond with disdain. “I can flex them, at least. Isn't that a shame?”
“You deserved it,” Draco snarled quietly. “You kissed my girlfriend.”
“Oh, she's your girlfriend now?” Harry said, raising an eyebrow.
Ginny narrowed her eyes and grabbed Draco's hand. “Yes, I am. Do you have a problem with that?”
Harry didn't say anything. Molly had been putting dishes on the table and Ginny figured she'd pretended not to hear anything, as she often did.
“You two deserve each other,” Ginny said coldly.
“Funny, that's what I think about you and Draco.”
“Well, thank you,” Draco said snidely.
George chose this time to intervene. “Mum wants to speak to Draco alone, and I'm going to see what Bill is up to.”
“Bill's coming?” Ginny asked, a smile twitching on her lips. “Why didn't Mum tell me?”
“GEORGE!” Molly shouted, storming into the room. “You weren't supposed to tell her.” She glanced at Draco, her voice softening. “Could you come with me for a few minutes? I'd like to talk to you.”
Draco grinned. “I guess that would be okay.” He turned around. “Will you be okay with him?”
Ginny glanced behind her at Harry, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. “I'll be fine,” she said, pushing Draco out of the kitchen. “I promise I won't kill him.”
All she heard before she turned around was a soft chuckle from the hall.
“You're worried about Ginny's well being while being with me,” Draco said as he sat on the couch. He didn't need her to speak her mind to know what she was thinking. “I assure you, she's safe with me.”
“She had better be,” Molly said, staring at him. “Because, if I hear you've hurt my daughter like Harry has, I will come after you.”
“I would never do anything to hurt her like he did. He obviously doesn't care about her.”
“And you do?” Molly asked.
“He does,” Arthur said, coming into the room. “I can tell. Molly, I'm surprised that you're the one reacting this way.”
“Excuse me?” Molly said sharply, standing.
The argument exploded almost immediately, and Draco took the opportunity to exit. He went into the kitchen, swept Ginny outside and told her they had to leave.
“What happened?” she asked, glancing at him. “They're yelling and it's not like them. What are they fighting about?”
“Well, you,” Draco mumbled. “I don't think your mum likes that you're living with me.”
“That's surprising. I thought my dad would be the one to react that way.”
“He said that about your mum.”
Ginny sighed and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. “We should go. We're not helping them by being here.”
“I think you're right.” Draco said. “But what about your brother? He's supposed to stop by. You wouldn't want to miss seeing him, would you?”
“No, but if we're going to cause my parents to fight-”
“It's not our fault,” Draco said, taking her hand. He brushed his lips against her knuckles. “We'll leave if you want. Just owl Bill and tell him what happened, see what he says.”
“So, you're asking me to explain about the whole situation to my older brother? You're not exactly his favorite person. And I don't think he'd like to know the extent of our living arrangements.”
“But we're a couple,” Draco said. “He'll understand that. You'll see, it'll be fine.”
“I'll think about it,” Ginny said.
“What's going on?” George asked, as he came up behind them. “God, they're really going at it in there, no wonder you're out here.”
Harry joined them momentarily and no one looked entirely too happy that he had. Ginny kept her arm around Draco's waist, squeezing slightly to show her discomfort.
“We're leaving,” Ginny said. “I'm sorry. I just can't be here anymore.”
Harry glanced at her. “How mature of you. What, are you afraid of me or something?”
“She's not afraid of anyone,” Draco said.
“Let her talk!” Harry snapped, shoving him. “She has a mind of her own.”
Draco straightened up and laughed.
Harry went to hit him, and Draco gripped his wrist, twisting it behind his back. His lips were next to Harry's ear and he whispered, “You really shouldn't have done that. You never deserved her, because you didn't respect her. I win and you lose, Potter.”
Then Draco tossed him onto the grass, grabbed Ginny, and Apparated.
“That was so bad,” Ginny said as they landed in front of a small coffee shop close to Draco's flat. “God, my parents are going to be so mad when they find out we left. I can't wait for that owl.”
That owl came when night had fallen. But it wasn't from Molly, or even Arthur. It was from Bill, and he had asked Ginny to meet with him to discuss what happened at The Burrow.
Draco read over the letter as Ginny lay against him. He kissed the top of her head. “He wants to meet with you, probably to talk about what I did to Harry.”
“I don't think so. He doesn't know about the banquet, and if he did he would be talking to Harry instead of you. And he wouldn't be happy... Unless Harry lies about what happened,” said Ginny.
“That's very likely, but there are witnesses,” Draco responded. “So he would just make an ass out of himself. Besides, does Bill know he cheated?”
Ginny shook her head. “I didn't tell many people.”
“He might wonder why Harry's not around lately,” suggested Draco. “So it'll be best if you tell him.”
Ginny considered this. “You're right. Do you want to come with me to see him?”
“I think it's better if you go alone,” he said. “You two will have much to talk about.”
Ginny agreed and owled Bill back.
Leave a Review